Cooking through the countries of the world . . . one SOOP at a time

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USA: “Hangover” Chicken Noodle Soup

I was a little chagrined when Calvin drew USA so early in the game, but so be it. And the obvious answer to “what is the classic soup from the USA?”? Chicken Noodle, of course. But, let’s face it; everyone and their mother has a chicken noodle soup recipe. So for this week, I can either try to find the most traditional recipe ever or off road a little bit and reinvent the wheel perhaps. So, being the, er, quirky gal I am, I’m off-roading. Without further ado, I present you with the chicken noodle soup I cooked in undergrad whenever I had a hangover. (Since this is for and with the kids, I won’t mention how frequently I cooked this soup.)

It all started with a hangover and the need/desire for something comforting to my brain and my stomach. Opening the fridge revealed standard chicken noodle soup fixings (except the carrots which I didn’t have) and as I had been fairly unkind to my body the night before I decided to throw in a little bit of everything green I had in there. And “hangover soup” was born. It’s a little bit crunchy, a little bit tangy, a lot of green, and a lot of good. Oh, and it works. Hangovers (or colds for that matter) be gone!

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium. Generously salt and pepper both sides of chicken thighs. Brown chicken until both sides are browned, about 5 minutes a side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

In the same pan add onions and saute on low until translucent. Add garlic, celery, and herbs. Saute for about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add meat and any juices that may have settled in the plate to the simmering broth. Once chicken has been added and is cooked through, allow another 15 minutes of simmer time for flavors to merge.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to directions – removing it from hot water when it is quite al dente. (We did a taste test of various GF pastas and found that Jovial’s brown rice pasta held up wonderfully and was everything we wanted in our chicken noodle soup. Trader joes’ brown rice/quinoa pasta was a close 2nd.)

Add fresh parsley, celery, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper as needed to taste. To serve, add pasta to bowl and top with soup.

You see that jersey Calvin is wearing? Balotelli is and Italian soccer player nicknamed Super Mario by fans because of his surprising actions on and off the field. Like Balotelli, like Calvin. I think we have a new nickname for him.

Pre-meal taste testing gets two thumbs up and a tongue.

THE MEAL:

Nearly 9 years ago, when I was heavily pregnant with Calvin and Beckett was only 18 months old, I was still working as a wedding photographer and was having a hard time keeping up with life. I posted an ad on craigslist for a mother’s helper and an angel responded. Auntie Edie walked into our house and hearts and our life has been so much richer ever since.

So, when Calvin drew the USA, I posted on facebook asking my friends for the best ever chicken noodle soup recipe and Auntie Edie responded with how she makes hers. Today’s soup version is an amalgam of my hangover cure made with her grown up technique (aka: a technique I never could have accomplished in undergrad – especially not with an hangover). When I was in school, I just used canned chicken stock and boiled chicken breasts in the broth before shredding it. It was good, but Auntie Edie’s technique of browning chicken thighs in the pan first made our soup so much richer and more umphy (my made up word of the day to describe good). Thumbs up Auntie Edie – this version is sure to become a staple in our house.

Thanks for joining us Auntie Edie and for making our lives so much more umphy!

NOTES:
A hangover is not required to enjoy this soup. Hangover soup freezes really well. Just leave out the pasta and make some fresh when you defrost the soup. This soup is also really great with rice, quinoa, or no grains whatsoever. I will occasionally also throw in a handful or two of spinach, baby kale, or chard if I have it on hand. You can’t go wrong really – just toss in whatever veggies you love.